Antifriction bearing



March 15, 1927. 1 ,620580 J. F. OCONNOR ANTIFRICTI ON BEARING Filed April 5. 1924 Patented Mar. 15, 1927..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO "\U H. MINER, INC, A COEFGRATION OF DELAWARE.

ANTIFRIGTION BEARING.

Application filed April 3,

This invention relates to improvements in anti-friction bearings.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and relatively inexpensive roller bearing, especially adapted for a railway car side bearing and wherein the parts are so arranged that the anti-friction element proper is automatically returned to its normal central position under the influence of gravity, when free from load.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a device of the character described that is self-contained, all parts of which are maintained in permanently assembled re lation and which is adapted to be applied as a unit to a bolster of a railway car.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a bearing of the kind described, an anti-friction roller acting in cooperation with a rockable cradle, said parts being so arranged that the cradle and roller will move together for a predetermined distance, after which the roller is revolvable about a fixed axis in the cradle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter followmg.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the ends of the body and truck bolsters of a railway car, showing my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the side bearing. Figure 3 is avertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 1. And Figure 4; is a top plan view of the rocking cradle.

In said drawing, 10 denotes the under side of a body bolster and 11 the upper side of the corresponding opposed truck bolster. The improved side bearingis shown as applied to. the truck bolster and comprises,

broadly, a base casting, housing or retain-.

ing member A; an anti-friction element proper B; and a rockable cradle C for carrymg said anti-friction element.

The housing A is of more .or less box-like form, having end walls 12 curved inwardly toward one another at their upper ends as indicated at 13, and having their lower ends flanged inwardly for a short distance as indicated at 14. The housing is provided 1924. Serial No. 703,899.

with side walls 15 having laterally offset portions 16 forming vertical guideways, the

top flanged walls of said guideways being indicated at 17. A Wear member or bearing plate 18 is adapted to be interposed be tween the housing and the truck bolster, said bearing plate being connected to the housing by means of rivets 19 through the flanges 14. Rivets 20 may be used for securing the bearing plate 18 to the truck bolster 11.

The anti-friction element proper B, is in the form of a cylindrical roller, adapted to be carried by a cradle member as will be hereinafter described. A pin or axle 21 extended through the center of the roller, said pin having axially, projecting ends 22 at each end of the roller.

The cradle member C is formed with a pair of parallel, vertical side wings 23 connected across their bottom by an arcuate web or wall, 24, both sides of said connecting portion 24 being recessed or out back as at 25. The lower arcuate surface of said cradle, indicated at 25, is adapted to bear on and rock upon the bearing plate 18. This arcuate bearing surface 25 is of a radius greater than the radius of the. anti-friction roller B. Adjacent the upper ends of the wings 23 of the cradle, each is provided with an elongated, upwardly curved recess 26. The projecting ends 22 of vtheaxle 21 are adapted to be slidably received within the elongated recesses 26 of the wings, so that thecradle and roller will move in unison.

The operation of the device is as follows, assuming that the roller is moving toward the right toward its dotted line position shown in Figure 1. During the first portion of travel, the roller and cradle move in unisonitransmitting the full load to the bearing plate 18, the roller rolling on the top surface of the web 24 that connects the side wings 23, continuing this rolling movement and causing the cradle to rock until the right hand, upwardly extending edges of the cradle abut against the corresponding vertical side walls of the guideways 16, whereupon further rocking movement of the cradle to the right is prevented. At this time, the pin projections 22 will be at the ends of the elongated slots 26 and the periphery of the roller will be clear of the web 24:, inasmuch as the ends of the Web member have been cut back at 25. Therefore, the roller will be revolvable about a relatively fixed axis in the side Wings, to permit unlimited further travel of the body bolster 10. As soon as the load is released, the cradle will return to its normal posit-ion, moving the roller in unison therewith to center the same.

The cradle will have considerable returning moment tending to center the roller, inasmuch as at extreme position as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, the moment arm of the roller and consequently its returning moment is Zero While the moment arm of the cradle is of an appreciable amount, male ing the returning moment sensitive.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the load or thrust is transmitted through the peripheral surface of the roller directly to the rocker for a pie-determined rocking movement of the latter or until the roller periphery is substanti ally clear of the rocker surface 2a, whereupon the load is thereafter transmitted from. the axle of the roller to the rocker through the side Wings 23. This tends to minimize strain on the axle with a consequent: minimizing of Wear between the axle and the recesses 26 because the axle is not loaded until the rocker is at its extreme end of rocking movement.

It will be evident that by the construction hereinbefore' described, I have produced a side hearing which is self-contained and may be applied to the bolster as a unit, the parts beingheld in permanently assembled relation so that they do not become lost before shipment or before application to the railway car,

I have herein shown and described What I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come Within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim 1. In an anti-friction bearing, the combination with a housing adapted to be secured to a bolster or the like; of an anti-friction roller therein; a rockable cradle carrying said roller and actuated in unisontherewith under load ;-and means associated with said roller and said cradle permitting said roller to. more free of peripheral c'oi ita'ct With said cradle during one phase of operation, and to support the same for rotation about a fixed an when free of peripheral contact with said cradle.

2.. In; an anti-friction bearing, the combination with a h'ousingadapt-ed to be secured to bolster or the like; of an anti-friction roller therein; and a rockable cradle carrying' said-roller and actuatcd'in unison there with under load,.s aid roller being movable longitudinally of said housing and nee" of peripheral contact With said cradle; said cradlebeing limited to an extreme position of rocking movement, means being provided for supporting said roller for rotation abouta fixed axis in said extreme position.

In an anti-friction bearing, the combination with a housing adapted to be secured to a bolster and having an interior bearing surface; of a cradle having an arcuate Wall arranged to roll back and forth on said bearing surface; and a roller carried by said cradle and engaging the arcuate Wall of the latter and being movable relative to said cradle longitudinally of said bearing surface, said cradle and roller moving in unison for a predetermined distance under load, means being provided whereby said roller is supported for rotation about a fixed axis following movement relative to said cradle.

1-. In an anti-friction bearing, the combin-ation with a housing adapted to be secured to a bolster and having an interior bearing surface; of a roller adapted to be arranged in said housing to engage With the cooperating opposed bolster, said roller having; an axial projection; and a' cradle adapted to rock on said bearing surface and having an elongated recess adapted to slidably receive said projection, said cradle and roller moving in unisonunder load until said cradle reaches the end of its rocking movement in which position said roller has its axial projection against one end of said elongated recess to permit said roller to revolve about a relatively fixed axis.

5. In an anti-friction bearing, the combination With a housing adapted to be sccured to a bolster and having an interior bearing surface, said housing being also provided With guideways in its side Walls; of" a roller adapted to be arranged in said housing to engage with the cooperating opposed bolster, said roller havingaxial projections; and a rockable cradle engageable on said bearing surface and havingside Wings With elongated recesses therein to slidably receive said projections, said cradle and roller moving in unison'und'er load, said cradle and roller moving in unison under load until said cradle abuts against the sides of said guideways, and limits the rocking movement of the cradle, said roller thence being free to revolve about a relatively fixed axis under continued travel of the bolster.

6. In an anti-friction bearing. the combination with a housing adapted to be cured to a truck bolster and having an interior bearing surface; of; a- .roller adapted to be arranged Within said housing .1 and a rockable cradle having arcuatc bearing,- surfaces carrying said roller and normally en gaging the periphery of the latter, the endsof the roller engaging Wall of said cradle e mg ot less extent than, that of the arcuate bearing surfaces of said cradle so thatvvhen the cradle is at its limit of rocking movement, the roller will be free of engagement with said roller engaging surface of said cradle, means being provided for supporting said roller for rotation about a relatively fixed axis when free of said engagement, said cradle being in a position of unstable equilibrium so as to return automatically to normal position and center the roller, after the load is released.

7. In an anti-friction bearing, the combination with a housing adapted to be secured to a bolster and having an interior bearing surface; of an anti-friction roller adapted to be arranged in said housing to engage with the cooperating opposed bolster; and a rocker member having a bearing surface interposed between said first named bearing surface and the peripheral surface of said roller, said rocker member and roller being so arranged that the thrust will be transmitted directly between said bearing surface of the rocker member and the peripl1- cry of said. roller during a. predetermined rocking movement of the former, after which the thrust will be transmitted to and through another portion of said rocker, said latter portion being arranged to support said roller for rotation.

8. In an anti-friction bearing, the combination with a housing adapted to be secured to a bolster or the like and. having an interior bearing surface; of an anti-friction element adapted to be arranged in said housing to engage with the cooperating opposed bolster; and a rocker member having a bean ing surface engageable between said firstnamed bearing surface and the bottom surface of said anti-friction element, said rocker being connected to said anti-friction'element by means extending axially therethrough, said means being constructed to permit said element to transmit the thrust from the lastmentioned bolster to the bearing surface of said rocker through opposed peripheral. surfaces of the anti-friction element during a predetermined rocking movement of the rocker, and will thereafter transmit the thrust to said rocker through the means extending axially through said element.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of April 1924.

JOHN F. OCONN OR. 

